We love Busch Gardens! We're locals and have gotten passes for the last few years. Because we have passes, we don't hesitate to go for a few hours and then head home when it gets too hot. The Sesame Street area and shows are fabulous for little ones (babies to first or second grade). It is a surprise if we wait more than ten minutes to ride in those areas and generally just hop right on. There is also lots of climbing fun and a some good rides for elementary age kids who aren't quite ready to ride "real" coasters yet. The big coasters are incredible - nothing at Disney come close. And impressively, they all offer different feeling rides. Some are big thrillers with huge drops or intense flips and others are just fun and fast. It is amazing to see all the animals (I feel like they have almost as many as the zoo) and the presentations in the animal hospital are fun and surprisingly educational. My kids love the splash pads and the water rides are a nice change of pace on hot days. We don't enjoy scary stuff as a family, so we avoid the park around Halloween Horror Nights, but the Food and Wine Festival is tons of fun and we really enjoyed the Christmas Lights last holiday season. The park isn't nearly as "polished" as Disney, but it is a lot more affordable and is generally much less crowded. We absolutely recommend it for families nearby!

Kristin HardenMar 2, 2018

I grew up going to Busch Gardens and just recently went back with my children. It’s still a fun place to take the family on the weekend. If you get a summer pass, you can take full advantage of this place. There are limited things to do with younger kids, but it is a great 3-4 hour place to get their energy out. I will say that the food is gross. I truly don’t know what happened here. We went to Bengal Bistro. We have no problem paying theme park prices for food, but it should at least taste good. That was seriously the cheapest, grossest hot dog I have ever seen on my kids’ plates. Bring your own food if you come! Otherwise, enjoy the Congo river rapids and the thrills of our very own local theme park. There are also great animals in the park. We got to see a cheetah run around 45 mph. It was pretty cool.

Jillian GilbeyMar 4, 2018

If you have never been to Busch Gardens, you are missing a real treat. The park is especially clean as are their restrooms. The animal exhibits are expertly created and presented and the animals look at act like they're well cared for. There are amusement rides for every age group, but because the park is so popular with the local and International visitors, the lines can be long at times. The price of admission is quite a deal since paying for one day allows you free admission for an additional 12 months and is called a Fun Card. Right now an additional bonus to the Fun Card is it gives you admission not only to Busch Gardens, but also the Island Adventure which is a water park next to Busch Gardens. Right now during the holiday season the shows are especially themed around Christmas. There is even a special attraction open at night on Friday, Saturday and Sundays running through the holiday season called Christmas Village. So much entertainment for such a reasonable price for the entire family.

Ron HenselFeb 19, 2018

Wonderful! The coasters are a lot of fun and I have never seen so many active animals before. Usually they're all sleeping but the day we went to Busch Gardens almost every animal was up and about. I recommend getting there as soon as they open. 10-5 isn't enough time to do everything if you attend any if the shows or if coaster lines are long. We went on a Monday in February and it was perfect weather and few enough people to really enjoy it. We also got one meal pass for the day and it was worth every penny. The meals are fairly large and you're aloud to get one every hour, so we would share the food between the two of us. With the pass you also get free bottled water through out the park and beer and snacks are buy one get one free including the soft serve ice cream! Definitely a must do!

Courtney MedeirosFeb 9, 2018

Very fun for roller coaster riders, but not much else to do there. I personally love coasters, but my girlfriend can't handle the rides, and we struggled all day to find anything to do. We were able to ride the Congo River Rapids, and we contemplated the log ride, but any other non-coaster rides were only for very small kids. If you're there for the zoo, that's fine and all, but otherwise, this park is mainly for thrill seekers. On another note, other than the carnival-style snacks, the food was unfortunately sub-par at best. They still sell it at the unreasonable theme park price, so I would recommend you eat before you go.

Hoine KosimiojinFeb 10, 2018

Lots of fun for all ages. You have to try Falcons Fury if you are a thrill seeker. If you like BBQ go to the smokehouse it’s amazing! Beer is kind of pricey, I like to drink at amusement parks while waiting in line and waking around but overall it was a lot of fun. I have an annual pass to go back all year long and they have great events during the summer so check it out!

Sarah MartinezMay 2, 2018

It's my favorite amusement park in Florida. We go once every couple years and love that there's always a new coaster and new areas of the park. Also love that craft beer is there now too. Great mix of food style, and the all day dining bracelet is amazing too! The park is usually really clean and big enough where even popular days it's not super packed everywhere. Tons of roller coasters, 3 water rides for hot days, and many other thrilling rides, as well as mellow or kids rides. Loads of different merchandise everywhere too Great family fun for all ages

Kris HowesApr 24, 2018

Absolutely loved it! So many things to see and do. If you ask me, all zoos should also coincidentally be attached to an awesome amusement park with roller coasters and all sorts of fun stuff. We got the eat-all-day pass (or whatever it's called) which allowed us to (if we were so inclined) eat as much food in the park as we wanted! It's not just snacks either. I mean hamburgers and turkey legs with a side, drink, and dessert. There were NO LINES when I went for any of the roller coasters, so that may have had an influence on my enjoyment of the rides, but I have done my fair share of waiting at other amusement parks and I can tell you it would have been worth the theoretical wait. In my opinion, this is a better value than Disney World and would definitely come here again granted the opportunity. Also, lots of really cool animals!

John DeCouApr 18, 2018

Great time, just super crowded - but it was a sunny Saturday so to be expected I suppose. Had to purchase a pair of "quick queue" passes ($150) for my son and I just to be able to ride the rides, as the wait times stayed around and hour per throughout the entire day. Food quality at the actual restaurants exceeded expectations but again, there were super long lines and limited seating to eat as well. The small drink/snack stations positioned throughout the park were not at all satisfactory in my opinion. Those attendants moved like sloths and, on the norm took me up to 20 minutes to get a simple drink with only two or three customers in line in front of me. They seemed almost annoyed when someone new joined the line (eyes rolling, and moving even slower). Two or three employees and two or three registers at each......and on such a super busy day, only one register was open or being used at those stations, and the other one or two employees were clearly ducking work acting like they were wiping counters or something similar, at a snail's pace. Anyway, if you go on a busy day, better get the "quick queue" passes for big $ if you intend on riding rides. Don't expect friendly or employees that want to work at the drink/snack stations. Be prepared to wait in super long lines if you decide to eat real food lunch there. We will be back, because I bought season passes. Next time we will be better prepared and maybe try to shoot for what we think may be a less crowded day.

Ed ProffittApr 22, 2018

We were here for the Wine and Food Festival, which was very nice. Good selection of wines, and the food had good and bad plates. They even had a few Gluten free dishes (chocolate cake!). The park is well maintained, but we hardly saw any animals. The lines for food (at the cafe) were impossible, so I had to go to the Starbucks to get water. The service was slow.

Irene WalsheApr 1, 2018

Brilliant day! We had quick queue passes and were straight on almost every ride. We didn't wait more than 5 minutes for anything. Queues weren't too big anyway, staff were friendly and very efficient and the ride changeover was rapid, so don't worry if you don't have quick queue. Make sure you bring sandwich bags for your tickets though if you have paper ones like us - the flume and Congo rapids get you absolutely drenched! Plenty of child/family friendly things to do if you don't like the big rides, too!

Rebecca LouiseMay 28, 2018

Awesome Day spent here. Lots to see and do. It was a hot day but there was plenty of benches and indoor places to stop and rest or cool down. With annual passes you can get good deals on drink refills and take throughout the park. The park was clean and not real crowded. Parking is ample. A trolly car can transport you to the park entrance to save the long walk. You really need a good day to at least see the majority of things. Even longer if you take in all the rides and shows.

Ethel MaeJun 8, 2018

Once again, I’m confused by the 1 ⭐️ reviews! Sure the food is pricey but it’s an amusement park... so it should be expected. I’ve never ever had a problem taking in snacks and drinks (including bottle water) for my son under 2. He enjoys the Sesame Street area a lot. He’s not quite tall enough for some of the rides but there’s some I can ride with him so that’s fun. The Stanley falls flume allows children 2+ to ride so we’re really looking forward to that. It is just me and my husband and child who always go and we do the child swap for the roller coasters. Ask any of the employees at the entrance of the quick queue line. We have the annual pass and the fun card that include adventure island and they’re so worth it. The cafe beside cheetah hunt is really good if you’re looking for more than just fried food. They have fresh fruit options that’s really good for kids. Don’t miss the kids size drop tower by the splash pad and tree house in jungala 🙌🏽 10/10 recommend

Katie BowenMay 13, 2018

There is something for everyone here! Rides! Shows! Animals! Its like a zoo and a theme park combined! Sesame street for the little ones is great too! I recommend getting an annual pass so that you can come for a few hours often. That way, any day you go you don't have to feel like you need to "get your money's worth." this is especially true if you have little ones that may get tired or cranky. Or if you tend to get tired and cranky, like me!

Carey ParsonsMay 29, 2018

Great place for kids and fun. The Ice Skating show was amazing. Beautiful scantily clad women dancing provocatively, 😋😋. The Animal show was impressive. They had lots of maintenance the day I went on rides so lines were extra long and some were even shutdown. Was told very abnormal. Only reason for 4 stars.

Branden BMay 26, 2018

Really enjoyed this place. The roller coasters are all loads of fun. The rides move quick. The train is very slow, but a good break when you need to get off your feet for a while. I didn't get any food there, but looked standard theme park stuff. Really enjoyed our experience here. Purchased the quick queue and it was totally worth it. A few of the rides weren't busy, so we did those multiple times and didn't need the quick queue, but still felt good to have it. Highlight recommend going here early on a Sunday at 9am and staying until about 2-4pm to do everything if you have the quick queue.

Emmanuel BaakoJun 26, 2018

The park isn't bad. Probably the highlight of the park is the animal sightings. All of the animals appear to be in very clean areas and are well taken care of. Are twin toddlers were excited to be able to see animals up close, unlike most zoos. My biggest complaint about the park would be the staff. Out of all the people we came in contact with today working rides, working concession areas, and doing other things, I can think of one that was even remotely polite. To be honest, it's understandable that young people working at a theme park wouldn't want to go way out of their way to make you feel welcome, but it was very clear from a lot of these employees that they had no interest in accommodating your needs. All day dine deal is worth the money.

Deanna Coleman-WeathersbeeJun 28, 2018

Very fun place for all ages. Great place to meet up with friends after college. Has great rides and still fun enough for young children. Bring extra clothing if your doing the river rapids. Very fun but you will get soaked. Food wise you have many options and buying a souvenir cup is a good plan as refills are cheaper.

Nancy MolinaJun 24, 2018

We took our autistic son. There for his 30th Birthday!! 😊🎈 Because that's what he wanted! And we all enjoyed it! His younger sister and her boyfriend also came with us!! I and his dad also. We all had a Great time! Best Birthday Party Corey ever had! In a very long time!! Lots of rides to go on, nice place to eat and desserts! I would really recommend! Anyone to go to Busch Gardens!! On any Day at any time !! We all had a Wonderful day!

Terri CraneJul 7, 2018

As a family of 5 we have been to many many amusement parks from FL all the way to NH. This is one of the very best. So many fun rides and neat attractions. Wish the sloths would have moved a little more so I could have been able to see them but they enjoyed the tree I suppose. Water rides to cool off on. Some crazy rollercoasters . Great food. I highly recommend buying the cups for the (free or 99cent) refills. Fun for everyone!

Jessa LeeJun 28, 2018

We love Busch Gardens! We're locals and have gotten passes for the last few years. Because we have passes, we don't hesitate to go for a few hours and then head home when it gets too hot. The Sesame Street area and shows are fabulous for little ones (babies to first or second grade). It is a surprise if we wait more than ten minutes to ride in those areas and generally just hop right on. There is also lots of climbing fun and a some good rides for elementary age kids who aren't quite ready to ride "real" coasters yet. The big coasters are incredible - nothing at Disney come close. And impressively, they all offer different feeling rides. Some are big thrillers with huge drops or intense flips and others are just fun and fast. It is amazing to see all the animals (I feel like they have almost as many as the zoo) and the presentations in the animal hospital are fun and surprisingly educational. My kids love the splash pads and the water rides are a nice change of pace on hot days. We don't enjoy scary stuff as a family, so we avoid the park around Halloween Horror Nights, but the Food and Wine Festival is tons of fun and we really enjoyed the Christmas Lights last holiday season. The park isn't nearly as "polished" as Disney, but it is a lot more affordable and is generally much less crowded. We absolutely recommend it for families nearby!

Kristin HardenMar 2, 2018

I grew up going to Busch Gardens and just recently went back with my children. It’s still a fun place to take the family on the weekend. If you get a summer pass, you can take full advantage of this place. There are limited things to do with younger kids, but it is a great 3-4 hour place to get their energy out. I will say that the food is gross. I truly don’t know what happened here. We went to Bengal Bistro. We have no problem paying theme park prices for food, but it should at least taste good. That was seriously the cheapest, grossest hot dog I have ever seen on my kids’ plates. Bring your own food if you come! Otherwise, enjoy the Congo river rapids and the thrills of our very own local theme park. There are also great animals in the park. We got to see a cheetah run around 45 mph. It was pretty cool.

Jillian GilbeyMar 4, 2018

If you have never been to Busch Gardens, you are missing a real treat. The park is especially clean as are their restrooms. The animal exhibits are expertly created and presented and the animals look at act like they're well cared for. There are amusement rides for every age group, but because the park is so popular with the local and International visitors, the lines can be long at times. The price of admission is quite a deal since paying for one day allows you free admission for an additional 12 months and is called a Fun Card. Right now an additional bonus to the Fun Card is it gives you admission not only to Busch Gardens, but also the Island Adventure which is a water park next to Busch Gardens. Right now during the holiday season the shows are especially themed around Christmas. There is even a special attraction open at night on Friday, Saturday and Sundays running through the holiday season called Christmas Village. So much entertainment for such a reasonable price for the entire family.

Ron HenselFeb 19, 2018

Wonderful! The coasters are a lot of fun and I have never seen so many active animals before. Usually they're all sleeping but the day we went to Busch Gardens almost every animal was up and about. I recommend getting there as soon as they open. 10-5 isn't enough time to do everything if you attend any if the shows or if coaster lines are long. We went on a Monday in February and it was perfect weather and few enough people to really enjoy it. We also got one meal pass for the day and it was worth every penny. The meals are fairly large and you're aloud to get one every hour, so we would share the food between the two of us. With the pass you also get free bottled water through out the park and beer and snacks are buy one get one free including the soft serve ice cream! Definitely a must do!

Courtney MedeirosFeb 9, 2018

Very fun for roller coaster riders, but not much else to do there. I personally love coasters, but my girlfriend can't handle the rides, and we struggled all day to find anything to do. We were able to ride the Congo River Rapids, and we contemplated the log ride, but any other non-coaster rides were only for very small kids. If you're there for the zoo, that's fine and all, but otherwise, this park is mainly for thrill seekers. On another note, other than the carnival-style snacks, the food was unfortunately sub-par at best. They still sell it at the unreasonable theme park price, so I would recommend you eat before you go.

Hoine KosimiojinFeb 10, 2018

Lots of fun for all ages. You have to try Falcons Fury if you are a thrill seeker. If you like BBQ go to the smokehouse it’s amazing! Beer is kind of pricey, I like to drink at amusement parks while waiting in line and waking around but overall it was a lot of fun. I have an annual pass to go back all year long and they have great events during the summer so check it out!

Sarah MartinezMay 2, 2018

It's my favorite amusement park in Florida. We go once every couple years and love that there's always a new coaster and new areas of the park. Also love that craft beer is there now too. Great mix of food style, and the all day dining bracelet is amazing too! The park is usually really clean and big enough where even popular days it's not super packed everywhere. Tons of roller coasters, 3 water rides for hot days, and many other thrilling rides, as well as mellow or kids rides. Loads of different merchandise everywhere too Great family fun for all ages

Kris HowesApr 24, 2018

Absolutely loved it! So many things to see and do. If you ask me, all zoos should also coincidentally be attached to an awesome amusement park with roller coasters and all sorts of fun stuff. We got the eat-all-day pass (or whatever it's called) which allowed us to (if we were so inclined) eat as much food in the park as we wanted! It's not just snacks either. I mean hamburgers and turkey legs with a side, drink, and dessert. There were NO LINES when I went for any of the roller coasters, so that may have had an influence on my enjoyment of the rides, but I have done my fair share of waiting at other amusement parks and I can tell you it would have been worth the theoretical wait. In my opinion, this is a better value than Disney World and would definitely come here again granted the opportunity. Also, lots of really cool animals!

John DeCouApr 18, 2018

Great time, just super crowded - but it was a sunny Saturday so to be expected I suppose. Had to purchase a pair of "quick queue" passes ($150) for my son and I just to be able to ride the rides, as the wait times stayed around and hour per throughout the entire day. Food quality at the actual restaurants exceeded expectations but again, there were super long lines and limited seating to eat as well. The small drink/snack stations positioned throughout the park were not at all satisfactory in my opinion. Those attendants moved like sloths and, on the norm took me up to 20 minutes to get a simple drink with only two or three customers in line in front of me. They seemed almost annoyed when someone new joined the line (eyes rolling, and moving even slower). Two or three employees and two or three registers at each......and on such a super busy day, only one register was open or being used at those stations, and the other one or two employees were clearly ducking work acting like they were wiping counters or something similar, at a snail's pace. Anyway, if you go on a busy day, better get the "quick queue" passes for big $ if you intend on riding rides. Don't expect friendly or employees that want to work at the drink/snack stations. Be prepared to wait in super long lines if you decide to eat real food lunch there. We will be back, because I bought season passes. Next time we will be better prepared and maybe try to shoot for what we think may be a less crowded day.

Ed ProffittApr 22, 2018

We were here for the Wine and Food Festival, which was very nice. Good selection of wines, and the food had good and bad plates. They even had a few Gluten free dishes (chocolate cake!). The park is well maintained, but we hardly saw any animals. The lines for food (at the cafe) were impossible, so I had to go to the Starbucks to get water. The service was slow.

Irene WalsheApr 1, 2018

Brilliant day! We had quick queue passes and were straight on almost every ride. We didn't wait more than 5 minutes for anything. Queues weren't too big anyway, staff were friendly and very efficient and the ride changeover was rapid, so don't worry if you don't have quick queue. Make sure you bring sandwich bags for your tickets though if you have paper ones like us - the flume and Congo rapids get you absolutely drenched! Plenty of child/family friendly things to do if you don't like the big rides, too!

Rebecca LouiseMay 28, 2018

Awesome Day spent here. Lots to see and do. It was a hot day but there was plenty of benches and indoor places to stop and rest or cool down. With annual passes you can get good deals on drink refills and take throughout the park. The park was clean and not real crowded. Parking is ample. A trolly car can transport you to the park entrance to save the long walk. You really need a good day to at least see the majority of things. Even longer if you take in all the rides and shows.

Ethel MaeJun 8, 2018

Once again, I’m confused by the 1 ⭐️ reviews! Sure the food is pricey but it’s an amusement park... so it should be expected. I’ve never ever had a problem taking in snacks and drinks (including bottle water) for my son under 2. He enjoys the Sesame Street area a lot. He’s not quite tall enough for some of the rides but there’s some I can ride with him so that’s fun. The Stanley falls flume allows children 2+ to ride so we’re really looking forward to that. It is just me and my husband and child who always go and we do the child swap for the roller coasters. Ask any of the employees at the entrance of the quick queue line. We have the annual pass and the fun card that include adventure island and they’re so worth it. The cafe beside cheetah hunt is really good if you’re looking for more than just fried food. They have fresh fruit options that’s really good for kids. Don’t miss the kids size drop tower by the splash pad and tree house in jungala 🙌🏽 10/10 recommend

Katie BowenMay 13, 2018

There is something for everyone here! Rides! Shows! Animals! Its like a zoo and a theme park combined! Sesame street for the little ones is great too! I recommend getting an annual pass so that you can come for a few hours often. That way, any day you go you don't have to feel like you need to "get your money's worth." this is especially true if you have little ones that may get tired or cranky. Or if you tend to get tired and cranky, like me!

Carey ParsonsMay 29, 2018

Great place for kids and fun. The Ice Skating show was amazing. Beautiful scantily clad women dancing provocatively, 😋😋. The Animal show was impressive. They had lots of maintenance the day I went on rides so lines were extra long and some were even shutdown. Was told very abnormal. Only reason for 4 stars.

Branden BMay 26, 2018

Really enjoyed this place. The roller coasters are all loads of fun. The rides move quick. The train is very slow, but a good break when you need to get off your feet for a while. I didn't get any food there, but looked standard theme park stuff. Really enjoyed our experience here. Purchased the quick queue and it was totally worth it. A few of the rides weren't busy, so we did those multiple times and didn't need the quick queue, but still felt good to have it. Highlight recommend going here early on a Sunday at 9am and staying until about 2-4pm to do everything if you have the quick queue.

Emmanuel BaakoJun 26, 2018

The park isn't bad. Probably the highlight of the park is the animal sightings. All of the animals appear to be in very clean areas and are well taken care of. Are twin toddlers were excited to be able to see animals up close, unlike most zoos. My biggest complaint about the park would be the staff. Out of all the people we came in contact with today working rides, working concession areas, and doing other things, I can think of one that was even remotely polite. To be honest, it's understandable that young people working at a theme park wouldn't want to go way out of their way to make you feel welcome, but it was very clear from a lot of these employees that they had no interest in accommodating your needs. All day dine deal is worth the money.

Deanna Coleman-WeathersbeeJun 28, 2018

Very fun place for all ages. Great place to meet up with friends after college. Has great rides and still fun enough for young children. Bring extra clothing if your doing the river rapids. Very fun but you will get soaked. Food wise you have many options and buying a souvenir cup is a good plan as refills are cheaper.

Nancy MolinaJun 24, 2018

We took our autistic son. There for his 30th Birthday!! 😊🎈 Because that's what he wanted! And we all enjoyed it! His younger sister and her boyfriend also came with us!! I and his dad also. We all had a Great time! Best Birthday Party Corey ever had! In a very long time!! Lots of rides to go on, nice place to eat and desserts! I would really recommend! Anyone to go to Busch Gardens!! On any Day at any time !! We all had a Wonderful day!

Terri CraneJul 7, 2018

As a family of 5 we have been to many many amusement parks from FL all the way to NH. This is one of the very best. So many fun rides and neat attractions. Wish the sloths would have moved a little more so I could have been able to see them but they enjoyed the tree I suppose. Water rides to cool off on. Some crazy rollercoasters . Great food. I highly recommend buying the cups for the (free or 99cent) refills. Fun for everyone!

Jessa LeeJun 28, 2018